Vehicle.



. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.-

M. -L. JOHNSON.

VEHICLE.

APPLIUATION mam APB.30, 1906.

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No. 861,988. .PATENTED JULY'30, 1907.

M. L. JOHNSON; VEHICLE.-

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 190B.

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(WIN 1 WITNESSES INVENTOI? w Madison LAYZZZZZZ'Q A TTOHNE Y S MADISON L.JOHNSON, OF GALENA, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed April 30,1906. Serial No. 314,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MA'oIsoN L. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Galena, in the county of Jo Daviess and State ofIllinois, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in vehicles and particularly in the classof two-wheeled vehicles, and has for an object to provide a novelconstruction whereby to eliminate as far as possible horse motion fromthe riders; and the invention consists in certain novel constructionsand combinations of parts as will be herein after described and claimed.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of the running gear of avehicle embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a detail perspective viewshowing the connection between the shafts and the front and one of theside springs. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away andpartly shown in section of a somewhat different construction of vehiclefrom that shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 shows a still differentapplication of the broad principles of my invention.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the side springs A are clippedmidway between their ends at A to the axle B, are connected at theirrear ends with the side springs A which are secured at a to the sidebars C and at their front ends the springs A are secured by the shacklesD to the shafts E and also connect with the ends of the front spring F,having a top spring G supporting the front ends of the side bars C. Theside bars C support the body H, a part of which is shown in Fig. l, bymeans of the brackets H and the said side bars form a part of theintermediate devices between the rear ends of the shafts E and the body.The shafts E are secured to the front ends of the side springs A bymeans of the shackle bolts D which extends through the shafts as bestshown in Figs, 1 and 2 and thereby forms a pivotal connection betweenthe shafts and the front ends of the side springs as shown in the saidFigs. 1 and 2. Immediately in rear of the connection with the sidesprings the shafts are deflected downwardly at E and thence have therearwardly projecting portion or extension E extending back below theaxle B and to a point in rear of the axle and are connected at theirrear ends by hanger rods I with the side bars C. These hangers also forma part of the intermediate devices between the rear ends of the shaftsand the body as best shown in I Fig. 1. I employ practically the sameconstruction as that described, in the vehicle illustrated in Fig. 3, except that in Fig. 3 the rear upper springs A are omitted and crosssprings A are provided for supporting the rear end of the body from therear ends of the side springs and the hanger rods I insteadof connectingwith side 7 bars as in the construction shown in Fig. 1, connectdirectly with the body II of the vehicle.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 I illustrate a somewhat differentform of body and in this construction the returned side springs ainstead of connecting with side bars as in Fig. 1, connect directly withthe body and the hanger rods i extend between the rear ends of theshafts and the body instead of connecting with intermediate side bars asin Fig. 1.

By my invention it will be noticed I give the horse a mechanicaladvantage by compounding the leverage of the shaft in making the draftdirect from the spring gear and elastic to relieve the vehicle fromhorse motion.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I illustrate a pleasure vehicle with side bars ,andfull coach gear; Fig. 3 illustrates my invention embodied in a fullplatform gear with covert body, while Fig. 4 illustrates a mail cartconstructed in accordance with the invention on a full coach gear.

It will be noticed that I provide in connection with the axle of atwo-wheeled vehicle two side springs rigidly attached with clips to theunder side of the axle, the shafts extending below and beyond the axleand having their heels at both sides connected with hangers which extendup and are attached to the side spring bars in the construction shown inFig. 1 and to bottom of the body when full platform with side entranceis used as shown in Fig. 3. It will also be noticed that the shafts andforward ends of the side springs are connected by the clevis andking-bolt of the shackle, the king-bolt passing through the shaft asbest illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This connection at D, D andthe shackling of the ends of the front cross spring 'F forms a unionbetween the cross and side springs at their juncture whereby the frontcross spring is forced to take up and absorb all vibrations or horsemotion that would otherwise be imparted to the body of the vehicle. Theshaft heels are continued back and under the axle to a point midwaybetween the axle and the rear ends of the side springs where theyconnect by means of intermediate devices with the body as illustratedand before described. By this construction the fulcrum is removed fromthe juncture of the cross and side springs with the shaft and is placedunder the axle which is the true center of gravity of the vehiclethereby converting the shafts from a simple into a compound leverovercoming horse motion and giving the horse a mechanical advantage overhis load in the vehicle. 7

The seat 11 in the covert cart illustrated in Fig. 3 may be movedforward or back to aid in keeping the vehicle in perfect balance whenother weights beside the drivers are carried. In the mail cart shown inFig. 4 the driver has the choice of sitting or standing to the front orrear to keep the cart in perfect balance at all times whether loaded orempty.

I claim 1. The combination in a vehicle substantially as described, ofthe axle, the coach side springs secured midway between their ends tothe axle and having at their rear ends the upper sections extendingforwardly, the side spring bars secured to the said upper sections, thefront cross spring connected with the front ends of the side bars, theshackles connecting the ends of the front crossspring with the frontends of the side springs and having the king-bolts, the shafts securedby said king-bolts and extending thence rearwardly below the axle to apoint about =midway between the axle and the rear ends of the sidesprings and the hangers connecting the rear ends or heels of the shaftsWith the side bars all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination in a vehicle substantially as described of the sidesprings and the cross springs and connections between the same includinga king-bolt extending horizontally from the front ends of the sidesprings through the shafts, the shafts being extended rearwardly,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination with the body and the axle, of a two-wheeled vehicle,of the side springs secured between their ends to the said axle, theshafts extending under and beyond the axle, intermediate devices betweenthe rear ends of the shafts and the body including hangers projectingupwardly from the shafts, and connections between the front ends of theside springs and the shafts substantially as set forth.

4. A two-wheeled vehicle having a body a spring gear shafts attached tothe spring gear as distinguished from being attached to the axle orbody, said shafts extending in rear of the axle, means for supportingthe body from the rear ends of the shafts, and means supporting thefront end of the body from the spring gear.

The combination in 'a two-wheeled vehicle with the side springs, theaxle and the body, of the shafts connected with the front ends of theside springs and extending thence below and rearwardly beyond the axleand devices connecting the rear ends of the shafts with the body,substantially as set forth.

6. The ,combination in a vehicle, substantially as de scribed, of theside springs, the forward cross spring and the shafts, of the shacklesbetween the ends of the forward spring and the side springs andking-bolts extending horizontally through the shafts and connecting thesame with the front ends of the side springs, substantially as setforth.

7. The combination with the side spring bars, the side springs and theshafts connected with the front ends of the side springs and extendingthence to a point in rear of the axle and about midway between the axleand the rear ends of the side springsand devices connecting the rearends of the shafts with the side spring bars, substantially as setforth. I

8. The combination of the body, the axle, the front cross spring, theside springs, the shafts, devices connecting the shafts with the sidesprings at the juncture of the latter with the front cross spring, theshafts being extended rearavardly from said connection beyond the axleand to a point about midway between the axle and the rear ends of theside springs and intermediate devices between the rear ends of theshafts and the body, substantially as set forth. 9. The combination in atwo-Wheeled vehicle with the axle and side springs secured between theirends thereto, of shafts connected with the front ends of the sidesprings and extending rearwardly therefrom below the axle and to a pointin rear of the axle and hangers connected with the rear ends of theshafts, substantially as set forth.

MADISON L. JOHNSON.

Witnesses B. C. SAMPSON, H. L. HEER.

